Bigger. Faster. Stronger.
No, this is not about a Kanye West song, but in this case, “bigger” and “better” might as well be synonymous and applicable to the Athens High School football team.
With two head track coaches on the Bulldogs’ staff, Athens might have an advantage in speed and conditioning due to its training program.
Assistant coaches Adam Gonczy, who also is the Athens varsity track coach, and the Athens Middle School track coach Brian Netter are the two men in charge of the strength program.
“Bigger Faster Stronger” is a comprehensive program designed by coaches and strength and conditioning specialists across the country to help high school athletes reach their full potential through strength and speed training and nutrition. Athens uses its own variation of the program.
Netter runs the summer speed program. Some days feature repeated short sprints and plyometrics, while other days focus on repeated long sprints, developing different types of speed and conditioning with variation.
Gonczy uses a similar approach when he takes over the program starting with two-a-days. He has the team run short sprints one day and long sprints the next. In doing this, players build up both anaerobic and aerobic stamina.
The offseason strength program consists of three or four days a week of lifting and plyometrics for developing explosive speed. Two of those days are dedicated to heavy lifting, while the other two focus on plyometrics. Auxiliary lifts that isolate certain muscle areas such as the shoulder, back or neck complement core lifts such as bench press, squat or hang clean.
Head football coach Ryan Adams said he appreciates the impact Gonczy and Netter have had on his staff and the benefits of the program as a whole.
“These guys are professionals in the field and learn the newest ways every year how to gain speed. They then fine tune it to relate more to football,” Adams said. “You need to be bigger, faster and stronger in the sport of football to win.”
Though the team has greatly benefited from the program, Gonczy said he has seen the most improvement up front.
“Our linemen have benefited the most,” he said. “They are right up there in speed and endurance with our flyboys. You can see the difference in games with how fast they get off the line of scrimmage.”
That applies specifically to center Travis Taylor and guards Tim Moquin and Noah Alasaff. All three have drawn the praise of coaches for their work ethic and leadership in the weight room and while running sprints.
“Speed is one of the things we definitely have this year, and I think it can be attributed to (the track coaches),” Moquin said. “It makes me a much better player.”
Alasaff agreed.
“I think we win most of our games because we are in better shape than our opponents,” he said.
The offensive line has been key in Athens’ rushing attack by opening up holes for running back DeVon Sharp. Sharp has benefited from stellar blocking up front in rushing for 1,049 yards and 16 touchdowns through seven games. He has singlehandedly outrushed Athens’ opponents by more than 100 yards.
In addition to a strong rushing attack, the 7-0 Bulldogs have been a dominant second-half team.
“I think our guys have been able to simply last longer than our opponents,” Gonczy said. “We have more confidence in later quarters when our guys come running off the field ready to keep going and execute our plays deep into the game.”
The conditioning adds an element of endurance that has helped the Bulldogs gain an upper hand, but this has not always been the case.
“Years ago, there was a lot more emphasis on strength,” Adams said. “We emphasize speed and conditioning now to give us more of an advantage.”
So far, the work put in by coaches and players alike has paid off. With an undefeated record, the Bulldogs have an upperhand to make a run for the title in their division.
as506610@ohiou.edu
